Covid-19 Update

The Welding Academy continues to monitor the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation Nationally, and the safety of our employees, customers and partners is our top priority.

In conjunction with our Pennisula Health and Safety, we have already implemented additional precautions both internally for our staff and externally for our customers, delegates, partners and wider supply chain.

The details of the control measures we have put in place are listed below:

Control measures relating to customers, delegates, partners and wider supply chain:

• Additional sanitiser stations are to be added to training centre entry points
• Additional advice signage has been added to training centres such as; “Catch it, Bin it, Kill” it as well as specific advice for educational sectors
• Hand washing advice to be added into welfare facilities
• We have increased cleaning services with specific instructions to daily disinfect all frequently touched surfaces
• Gloves issued to staff cleaning delegate rest areas. Cleaning will also be carried out with disposable wipes
• We have also nominated internal staff to clean down frequently touched areas throughout the day
• Video conferencing should be considered for external meetings
• Ensure adequate provision of antibacterial handwashes / soap in all toilet facilities
• Stagger delegate breaks to reduce highly populated delegate canteens and increase clear ups
• Produce delegate an information slide and issue to all trainers for housekeeping at the start of courses
• The Senior Leadership Team have signed up to Public Health England Alerts
• Communicate with our partners and supply chain on the actions we have taken and ensure that they are also implementing similar control measures.
• We will communicate with all external Awarding Bodies, requesting their guidance on what alternative training methods (e.g. online) can be put in place if the situation escalates

Internal control measures relating to employees:

• Ensure sick leave policy is flexible and consistent with public health guidance and that employees are reminded of these policies
• Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever (37.8° C or greater). Before returning to work, employees must be clear of signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants)
• All employees have been issued with a tissue box and encouraged to sneeze and cough into tissues and then properly dispose of them
• Ensure adequate provision of antibacterial handwashes / soap in all toilet facilities
• Inform employees that some people may be at higher risk for severe illness, such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions
• Ask Managers to prepare for possible increased numbers of employee absences due to staff illness or their family members
• Reduce physical contact such as handshaking
• Share plan with employees and explain what (if any) revised policies and pay and benefits will be available to them in the event of an emergency scenario
• Reduce desk sharing or “hot desking” where possible
• Staff returning from leave will be contacted prior to their return to work to check if they have visited any high-risk areas. Anyone who has visited a high-risk area will be advised to self-isolate, as per the current Government advise

We will continue to follow the World Health Organisation and UK Government guidelines relating to COVID-19.

Given the changing nature of the situation, our control measure and policies surrounding COVID-19 may change and be updated. We will continue to communicate these where applicable.

Our aim is to provide critical safety and compliance training in the safest environment possible.

Kind Regards

The Welding Academy